Bridge of Spies: The real-life story of 'Geordie hero' Rudolf Abel, who turned into a Russian spy
When film buffs take their seats for Steven Spielberg’s new release, many will be in for a surprise which has nothing to do with the twists and turns of the plot. The man caught up at the heart of much-talked-about espionage thriller Bridge of Spies, which hit cinemas on Friday, is based on a Geordie and real-life spy Rudolf Abel. Abel, who was born in Newcastle as William Fisher and once worked at Swan Hunter in Wallsend, went on to become a Russian spy during the Cold War. He passed America’s atomic secrets to the KGB and was finally caught in 1957 in New York, where he had embedded himself in society and lived as a painter. Spielberg’s film focuses on the time in 1962 when the American authorities arranged to swap their prisoner for US reconnaissance spy plane pilot Gary Powers, who had been shot down over the Soviet Union, and Tom Hanks plays the lawyer involved in the negotiations. The story will be an eye-opener for many who have no idea about the fascinating story of how a quiet...